unkown seeds

On 18 Oct 2012, at 19:54, Ina wrote:
> I was sent these seeds. I can't contact the sender just now, but need
> to know what to do with them. They are definitely bulb seed, it was
> suggested they may be tulip seed. Do they look familiar at all to
> anyone on the PBS?
>
> The husks are about 1 inch (2.5cms) long.
>
> https://picasaweb.google.com/102349754034616089606…
> -v7Ucw#5800538338222738306
Definitely tulip seeds, but I can't say which species. Frittilaria capsules
aren't pointed like that, and their seeds aren't that rich reddish brown.
The single capsule in the upper right reminds me very strongly of the capsules
of Tulipa sprengeri, but don't take that as a good i.d. It could be nearly any
of the smaller tulip species. The seeds look like they generally have good
embryos.
Be aware that seedling tulips - at least some of them - can take the better
part of a decade before they flower. They will probably mature faster if grown
in the open ground, so I'd suggest you prepare a seed bed for them with lots of
sand mixed into the soil, and sow them in situ. Some wire mesh over the bed may
be desirable to keep rodents and birds from eating the seeds and, later, the
seedling bulbs.
If in-situ sowing is not for you, then sow in a deep pot and at the end of the
second growing season plant the young bulbs out.
They may not germinate until next spring, so be patient.
--
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Z. 7-8, cool Mediterranean climate